Smaller Nonprofit Boards: Similar Needs, Similar Focus

My nonprofit board is small. Do we require a different approach than a larger board?

Similar to businesses, nonprofits have stages of development from start-up formation and small teams to large organizations that have more structure, more systems, and more processes. So small boards might be more informal, more hands-on in nature, and it is common that they don’t have everything as buttoned up with governance processes in the beginning.

But similar board practices of strategy and governance apply to small nonprofit boards as they do for large nonprofit boards. The big difference is, of course, how much staff support they have to do the work. Sometimes small nonprofit board members play both board and operational (or more “doer”) roles.

What questions should we ask ourselves as our nonprofit evolves?

I approach the topic of evolving nonprofit needs with these questions:

• What type of board are we now?
• Are we a founder board run by founders with a small staff supporting? Or evolving to a more “governing” board working with a founder to have more shared leadership? There are several types of small nonprofit boards so it is important to examine the board-staff or founder role.
• Where do we need to go as a board as we evolve and grow?

Small nonprofits typically do not have a fully adequate management or staff to accomplish everything the nonprofit board or staff dream of or even that seems to be necessary to operate at a high-quality level.  That’s why you may as a board be hands on in some aspects that are typically more for staff.  But as you want to move forward to the next level and grow the board will need to examine board-staff roles, and consider stepping up to advance marketing and fundraising to hire more staff to ensure growth and sustainability.

As you evolve and the needs of your organization evolve, and the board needs to shift, sometimes the composition of who you’re recruiting for will change. You may need to recruit for more influence and to recruit some major donor(s) or philanthropic leaders to your board.  You may need to shift from monthly meetings toward every other month meeting to shift the board more toward leadership and governance and with less co-management of the organization.  Independent of the size of the nonprofit, you still have your 3 Hats of Board roles: the committee or “doing” role, your strategy role, and your governing role. Organizations likely need to emphasize different developmental goals at different stages.

Don’t Assume All Boards Are the Same

Boards vary across the board in many facets and are an ever-evolving entity. Board development is intended to ask:

• Who are we as an organization right now and what are our primary strategic goals?
• In the context of our organization’s priorities and the state of our board development, what should our top priorities be as a board?
• What are the strategies and steps to move to the next level as a board?

Individuals who invest in their own board’s success and take steps toward raising their board’s impact receive the largest reward. At times, individuals feel frustrated or held back because they’re shy of stepping over their fellow board members. They’re reticent to carry the ball forward.  With the help of what they learn in this workshop and the motivation and confidence they acquire to influence positive change for their board, they can take action to join with others to move their board from Good to Great. Getting started with even one or two actions to move your board forward can make a difference.